Business Succession Planning

The shocking reality is that only 30% of closely-held and family-owned businesses survive to the second generation and only 10% of those survive to a third generation. The conflicting demands of business, family, and ownership often lead to serious family problems. Leading and managing a closely-held or family-owned business is a demanding and complex task. Our objective is to assist you in meeting challenges brought on by constant changes in marketplace, technology, employment, and family.

The Sharp Law Firm design and implement solutions to define, preserve, and perpetuate, the significant resources of your business and family to leave a lasting legacy for future generations. We are dedicated to serving businesses and their owners. Legal representation is a process that begins with understanding a client's business, its history and the client's vision for the future. We assist our clients in formation and business planning in deciding whether they want to operate as a closely held business, limited liability company, partnership, or corporation. We advise our clients about directors' and officers' liability, dissolution, franchising, reorganization, trade association membership and activity, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, shareholders' rights, business continuation and succession. Our firm provides services for businesses in a full range of transactions, both at the planning stage and, if necessary, in litigation, include: drafting, negotiating and reviewing all types of contracts, preparation of agreements including buy-sell agreements, family business succession and continuation strategic plans, employee benefits and incentive plans, including pension and profit-sharing plans, and statutory and nonstatutory stock options, employment and consulting agreements, purchase and sale of businesses and personal property.

Our commitment is the same, whether we are called upon for strategic planning, a transaction, or a crisis; it is the same whether our client is a growing entrepreneur, a seasoned business person, or the owner of a mature business. It is our experience that this process cultivates lasting relationships which, over time, benefit clients with valued legal counsel which is timely, insightful and effective.

We are proud of the benefits that our approach yields. These include:

• Emphasis on strategies for limiting liability and maximizing opportunity
• Timely legal advice in the context of the business environment
• Continuity of legal counsel from the inception of a business through its development and maturity
• Utilization of an interdisciplinary team approach, when necessary, with a full network of legal, consulting, accounting, real estate and financial professionals
• Commitment to the development and implementation of business ownership and management succession strategies, with a sensitivity and understanding of family and interpersonal dynamics that impact on that process.
• Cost-effective approach; understandable and timely bills.

We are equipped with a distinctive combination of experience, knowledge, service and personal commitment, dedicated to being an integral part of our clients' long-term growth and success.

Business Continuation

The shocking reality is that only 30% of closely-held and family-owned businesses survive to the second generation and only 10% of those survive to a third generation. The conflicting demands of business, family, and ownership often lead to serious family problems. Leading and managing a closely-held or family-owned business is a demanding and complex task. Our objective is to assist you in meeting challenges brought on by constant changes in marketplace, technology, employment, and family.

The Sharp Law Firm design and implement solutions to define, preserve, and perpetuate, the significant resources of your business and family to leave a lasting legacy for future generations. We are dedicated to serving businesses and their owners. Legal representation is a process that begins with understanding a client's business, its history and the client's vision for the future. We assist our clients in formation and business planning in deciding whether they want to operate as a closely held business, limited liability company, partnership, or corporation. We advise our clients about directors' and officers' liability, dissolution, franchising, reorganization, trade association membership and activity, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, shareholders' rights, business continuation and succession. Our firm provides services for businesses in a full range of transactions, both at the planning stage and, if necessary, in litigation, include: drafting, negotiating and reviewing all types of contracts, preparation of agreements including buy-sell agreements, family business succession and continuation strategic plans, employee benefits and incentive plans, including pension and profit-sharing plans, and statutory and nonstatutory stock options, employment and consulting agreements, purchase and sale of businesses and personal property.

Our commitment is the same, whether we are called upon for strategic planning, a transaction, or a crisis; it is the same whether our client is a growing entrepreneur, a seasoned business person, or the owner of a mature business. It is our experience that this process cultivates lasting relationships which, over time, benefit clients with valued legal counsel which is timely, insightful and effective.

We are proud of the benefits that our approach yields. These include:

• Emphasis on strategies for limiting liability and maximizing opportunity
• Timely legal advice in the context of the business environment
• Continuity of legal counsel from the inception of a business through its development and maturity
• Utilization of an interdisciplinary team approach, when necessary, with a full network of legal, consulting, accounting, real estate and financial professionals
• Commitment to the development and implementation of business ownership and management succession strategies, with a sensitivity and understanding of family and interpersonal dynamics that impact on that process.
• Cost-effective approach; understandable and timely bills.

We are equipped with a distinctive combination of experience, knowledge, service and personal commitment, dedicated to being an integral part of our clients' long-term growth and success.

Success Planning

The shocking reality is that only 30% of closely-held and family-owned businesses survive to the second generation and only 10% of those survive to a third generation. The conflicting demands of business, family, and ownership often lead to serious family problems. Leading and managing a closely-held or family-owned business is a demanding and complex task. Our objective is to assist you in meeting challenges brought on by constant changes in marketplace, technology, employment, and family.

The Sharp Law Firm design and implement solutions to define, preserve, and perpetuate, the significant resources of your business and family to leave a lasting legacy for future generations. We are dedicated to serving businesses and their owners. Legal representation is a process that begins with understanding a client's business, its history and the client's vision for the future. We assist our clients in formation and business planning in deciding whether they want to operate as a closely held business, limited liability company, partnership, or corporation. We advise our clients about directors' and officers' liability, dissolution, franchising, reorganization, trade association membership and activity, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, shareholders' rights, business continuation and succession. Our firm provides services for businesses in a full range of transactions, both at the planning stage and, if necessary, in litigation, include: drafting, negotiating and reviewing all types of contracts, preparation of agreements including buy-sell agreements, family business succession and continuation strategic plans, employee benefits and incentive plans, including pension and profit-sharing plans, and statutory and nonstatutory stock options, employment and consulting agreements, purchase and sale of businesses and personal property.

Our commitment is the same, whether we are called upon for strategic planning, a transaction, or a crisis; it is the same whether our client is a growing entrepreneur, a seasoned business person, or the owner of a mature business. It is our experience that this process cultivates lasting relationships which, over time, benefit clients with valued legal counsel which is timely, insightful and effective.

We are proud of the benefits that our approach yields. These include:

• Emphasis on strategies for limiting liability and maximizing opportunity
• Timely legal advice in the context of the business environment
• Continuity of legal counsel from the inception of a business through its development and maturity
• Utilization of an interdisciplinary team approach, when necessary, with a full network of legal, consulting, accounting, real estate and financial professionals
• Commitment to the development and implementation of business ownership and management succession strategies, with a sensitivity and understanding of family and interpersonal dynamics that impact on that process.
• Cost-effective approach; understandable and timely bills.

We are equipped with a distinctive combination of experience, knowledge, service and personal commitment, dedicated to being an integral part of our clients' long-term growth and success.

For more information about business succession planning, or to schedule a consultation, contact a New Jersey Accredited Estate Planner at Sharp Bratton in Haddon Heights, Lawrenceville and Linwood.